Restaurant designers are always looking for creative sparks, and 33% find inspiration in their client’s brand and story, per a restaurant development + design reader survey fielded in December 2025.
Additionally, 21% find inspiration from existing architecture and built environments. Another 14% find creative inspiration from travel and learning about other cultures.
Some find inspiration in other mediums, with 9% saying art, fashion and media often spark ideas. Just 7% said they found inspiration in nature and outdoors, but an additional 7% were data-driven, finding social trends and consumer behavior creatively inspiring. The final 9% gave a wide range of answers that encompassed nearly “all of the above.”
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